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Math Lecturer's Email Goes Viral

When UC Berkeley math lecturer Alexander Coward decided not to go on strike and to email his students at length about his decision, he did not expect his message to go viral. But it did.

Coward has received responses from his own students, yes, but also from readers in other states and countries.

Coward's full email is available here, but a couple excerpts appear below:

One of the things you can lose track of when you attend a top tier university like Berkeley is just how exceptional and amazing you really are. I’m blown away every time I talk to you. The way you ask penetrating questions, the way you improved so much between midterm 1 and 2, the way you challenge me to be a better teacher, it just knocks my socks off. You really are amazing.

Whatever you decide to do with your life, it’s going to be really, really complicated.

Science and technology is complicated. History and politics is complicated. People are complicated. Figuring out how to be happy, and do simple things like take care of our kids and maintain friendships and relationships, is complicated.